ATLANTA, Ga. (November 12, 2026) - The Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) announced its 2026 Women’s Volleyball all-conference award winners, as voted on by the league’s seven head coaches.
LaGrange's Alex Krabs headlines this year's honorees as Player of the Year, while Covenant's Henley Gentry and Cali Sandhoff earned Defensive Player of the Year and Setter of the Year, respectively. Piedmont's Lillian Gaskins was selected as Freshman of the Year, and Covenant head coach Stephanie Wharton collected Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Scots to an unbeaten CCS campaign.
Player of the Year | Alex Krabs, LaGrange
A driving force behind LaGrange's offense, sophomore right side hitter Alex Krabs put together a productive season for the Panthers, leading the team with 305 kills while averaging 3.08 per set. Krabs ranked fourth in the CCS in total kills and finished the regular season with a .206 hitting percentage, starting in 27 matches. She also contributed 162 digs, 39 blocks, 14 assists, and 14 service aces. One of her most notable performances came against NCAA Division II opponent Clark Atlanta, where she recorded a season-high 22 kills and four digs to help LaGrange secure a five-set victory. Krabs also earned CCS Player of the Week recognition during the season.
Defensive Player of the Year | Henley Gentry, Covenant
Henley Gentry established herself as one of the conference's premier back-row defenders in her sophomore campaign, anchoring Covenant's defense with 439 digs and an average of 4.48 per set, ranking third in the CCS. Her production increased during conference play, where she tallied 201 digs and averaged 4.90 per set. Beyond her defensive contributions, Gentry was a consistent presence from the service line, recording 59 aces at a rate of 0.60 per set. She ranked second in the conference in service aces and among the top 25 nationally in NCAA Division III. Her performances throughout the season earned her five CCS Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Setter of the Year | Cali Sandhoff, Covenant
Senior Cali Sandhoff played a central role in directing Covenant's offense throughout the season, combining her versatility as a setter and middle blocker with consistent production. In conference play, Sandhoff led the CCS with 247 assists, averaging 6.02 per set, helping the Scots pace the league in hitting percentage (.266) and total kills (576). Appearing in all 29 matches, Sandhoff finished the regular season with 523 assists and 56 service aces, ranking fourth in the CCS in both categories. She also made program history in early November, recording her eighth career triple-double with 13 kills, 23 assists, and 11 digs against Maryville to establish a new Covenant record. Her contributions throughout the season earned her multiple weekly conference honors, including Player of the Week and Setter of the Week recognition.
Freshman of the Year | Lillian Gaskins, Piedmont
Lillian Gaskins made an immediate impression in her first collegiate season, emerging as one of the conference's most productive offensive players for Piedmont. The freshman led the CCS in total kills with more than 300, quickly establishing herself as a key contributor to the Lions' attack. Her offensive workload also placed her among the national leaders, ranking 15th in NCAA Division III in attacks per set. Gaskins' consistent performances earned her four CCS Rookie of the Week selections.
Coach of the Year | Stephanie Wharton, Covenant
Stephanie Wharton earned CCS Coach of the Year honors after directing Covenant to a 26-3 overall record and a perfect 12-0 mark in conference play. The Scots dropped just two sets against league opponents, completing an unbeaten conference campaign behind one of the most efficient offensive and defensive units in Division III. Under Wharton's leadership, Covenant led the CCS with a .265 team hitting percentage, ranking fifth nationally, while limiting opponents to a .088 hitting percentage. The Scots also surpassed 1,000 kills on the season, averaging 12.86 per set to rank among the top 20 nationally. Covenant's success extended to the service line, where the Scots led the league with 286 aces, averaging 2.89 per set and ranking 14th in Division III.
LaGrange led all CCS programs with five All-Conference selections, followed by Covenant with four. Asbury, Belhaven, and Huntingdon each earned three honorees, while Piedmont collected two selections. Agnes Scott rounded out the All-CCS teams with one representative.
The
2026 CCS Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament begins Thursday with quarterfinal action as No. 3 Asbury faces No. 6 Piedmont and No. 4 Huntingdon takes on No. 5 Belhaven. The winners will advance to Friday’s semifinals where No. 1 Covenant and No. 2 LaGrange await. The tournament concludes Saturday, November 14, with the 2026 CCS championship match.
2026 CCS WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL SUPERLATIVE AWARDS
Player of the Year: Alex Krabs, LaGrange
Defensive Player of the Year: Henley Gentry, Covenant
Setter of the Year: Cali Sandhoff, Covenant
Freshman of the Year: Lillian Gaskins, Piedmont
Coach of the Year: Stephanie Wharton, Covenant
2026 CCS Women’s Volleyball All-CCS Teams
First Team
| Alex Krabs |
LaGrange |
| Ella Sprouse |
LaGrange |
| Kaitlyn Smith |
LaGrange |
| Julia Damico |
LaGrange |
| Isabelle VandeSchraaf |
Asbury |
| Salome De Jesus |
Huntingdon |
| Aubrianna Gerdes |
Covenant |
Second Team
| Tarryn Woodall |
Belhaven |
| Avery Maiden |
Covenant |
| Cali Sandhoff |
Covenant |
| A'Kirra McElveen |
Huntingdon |
| Sophie Glushchak |
Asbury |
| Lillian Gaskins |
Piedmont |
| Kayla Robinson |
Belhaven |
Honorable Mention Team
| Madison Stidum |
Agnes Scott |
| Sara Beth Gray |
Asbury |
| Megan LaCour |
Belhaven |
| Henley Gentry |
Covenant |
| Morgan Suggs |
Huntingdon |
| Jade Furr |
LaGrange |
| Rylee Vessell |
Piedmont |
2026 CCS Women’s Volleyball All-Sportsmanship Team
| Janae Erwing |
Agnes Scott |
| Ruby Heid |
Asbury |
| McKenna Matthews |
Belhaven |
| Sarah Jennings |
Covenant |
| Gracie Wallace |
Huntingdon |
| Rebecca Miranda |
LaGrange |
| Grace Pruitt |
Piedmont |
ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features seven member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, and Piedmont University) and sponsors championships across 16 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.
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